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Finland's right-wing parties strike deal to form government

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:57:00 GMT

Finland's conservative National Coalition (NCP), winner of April's parliamentary election, has reached agreement to form a majority government with the eurosceptic, anti-immigration Finns Party and two smaller groups, its leader said on Thursday (15 June)."All issues have been resolved and the papers are ready," said NCP leader Petteri Orpo, a fiscal conservative set to become Finland's next prime minister, referring to the government programme.By getting the NCP, the nationalist Finns, minority-language Swedish People's Party and the Christian Democrats to agree on a common platform, Orpo shifts Finnish politics to the right and sends left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin into opposition.During 11-week talks over how to govern Finland during the coming four years the Finns and the Swedish People's Party had struggled to agree on immigration, climate policy and public finances, but reached a compromise in the end.Orpo's government is expected to curb the fiscal deficit by cutting une...

Temecula’s Old Town Music Festival is Your Perfect Weekend Excursion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:57:00 GMT

Looking for something to do this weekend around the LA area? I have the most perfect event for you, it’s called the Old Town Music Festival in Temecula  and let me tell you it’s a blast! I had the honor to attend last year and the energy of just being there was something else.Here’s a little bit on what you can expect. It’s at The Temecula Stampede that has been a pillar in Old Town Temecula since 1995 and has sincegained a reputation as the West Coast’s largest country music venue including weekly line dancing lessons, dance floor, mechanical bull riding, full bar, a spacious patio, and concert events. Ken and Brandie Newman, founders and owners of Newman Hospitality Group purchased the legendary Temecula Stampede in 2020. They launched the popular Old Town Music Festival in 2021. Ken & Brandie’s love of entertainment and hospitality created an eagerness to bring additional business to the Temecula Valley. This led them to turn the Old Town Music Festival into an annual event w...

Ask Amy: I realized too late I was on speaker phone

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:57:00 GMT

Dear Amy: More and more people seem to use their speaker phone when they’re on personal calls.This makes it very difficult to have any comfortably “private” conversations, because very often you don’t know the phone is on speaker until someone in the room replies to something you thought you were discussing privately!I’ve asked and re-asked that they let me know when my calls are being broadcast.The answer I get most often is: “We have no secrets here” or, “When we get to talking about private things, I turn it off.”That’s fine for them, but it doesn’t help me.All too often, I have to think back on our conversation to assure myself that nothing untoward was discussed before realizing I was likely sharing my private thoughts with brothers, sisters, mates, the dog or cat.Please, what more can I do to stop this great invasion of my personal privacy?– Angry and FrustratedDear Angry: Some people reflexively use their speaker bec...

Harriette Cole: It hurt my feelings when he treated me like a buddy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:57:00 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: A guy that I used to date — and remained good friends with — recently told me about his plans to propose to his girlfriend. He was asking for advice.We have remained friends after our breakup, but I never expected him to seek my input on such an intimate matter. To be honest, it hurt my feelings more than I thought it would. I understand that he values my opinion and trusts me, but I cannot help feeling a bit upset.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: I feel terrible that I hurt their feelings on social media Advice | Harriette Cole: I wonder if they think I’m trying to poach their men Advice | Harriette Cole: Three of my friends are dead, and I’m freaking out Advice | Harriette Cole: Anytime I complain, she implies I’m a coward Advice | Harriette Cole: I’m afraid her fashion choice is dangerous I do not want to let my discomfort be too obvious by p...

A Conversation With Joe Manchin’s Former Right Hand, Scott Sears

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:57:00 GMT

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., says he’s leaving his options open when asked about a presidential run. No Labels, a centrist political organization, is looking to run a split ticket between one Republican and one Democrat. Manchin is considered the likeliest candidate and has dropped increasing hints that he is considering it. This week on Deconstructed, Daniel Boguslaw, politics reporter at The Intercept, interviews Manchin’s former political operative and right-hand man, Scott Sears, about the senator’s career and political ambitions. Sears helped Manchin secure political wins across the state before switching parties and throwing it all in for Donald Trump.Transcript coming soon. The post A Conversation With Joe Manchin’s Former Right Hand, Scott Sears appeared first on The Intercept.

DC awarded $50,000 grant to produce Latino history study

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:57:00 GMT

D.C. just got a new grant to help research and highlight the history of the Latino community in the District.“The Latino community is an increasingly large portion of our population. They’ve obviously added a tremendous amount to the district’s culture and history,” said Steve Callcott, deputy preservation officer in the D.C. Office of Planning.The D.C. Preservation League is partnering with the D.C. Office of Planning’s Historic Preservation Office to implement the $50,000 grant from the National Park Service.It will be used to develop a study called “The History of Latino Communities in Washington, D.C.”“We’re looking at Latino history from the early 1940s up until the early 1990s, and the various waves of immigrants that came to the city, starting during and after World War II up until the civil disturbances that took place in Mount Pleasant in 1991,” Callcott said.With the grant, D.C. will hire a consultant to lead the ...

Stock market today: World shares track Wall Street rally, Tokyo’s benchmark at 33-year high

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:57:00 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares advanced in Europe and Asia on Friday after a broad-based rally on Wall Street. U.S. futures were little changed and oil prices wobbled lower after gaining more than 3% on Thursday. Germany’s DAX added 0.2% to 16,328.40 and the CAC 40 in Paris surged 0.6% to 7,337.98. Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.2% at 7,642.77. The future for the S&P 500 gained 0.2% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged less than 0.1% higher. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index closed at a 33-year high after the Bank of Japan wrapped up a policy meeting by keeping its ultra-lax monetary stance unchanged, as expected. It is a standout among central banks, most of which have sought to rein in inflation by raising interest rates. The key Japanese rate has stayed at minus 0.1% for a decade and policymakers have indicated they are not convinced that current inflation, which finally has surpassed the BOJ’s target of about 2%, will be sustained. “With extremely high uncertai...

Community condemns recent acts of hate at Fairfax Co. Pride rally

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:57:00 GMT

A group that included Virginia Del. Marcus Simon, Fairfax County Public School teachers and students and members of the organization FCPS Pride gathered Thursday night before a school board meeting to condemn recent acts of hate in county schools.FCPS Pride organized the event, a “Pride Rally Against Hate” for all communities in county schools, on the same night the board voted to proclaim June as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in the school system.The proclamation later passed 11-0, with Board Member Abrar Omeish abstaining.The group used Thursday’s event to speak out about two recent hate incidents on school campuses.In one incident at Falls Church High School, a student admitted stealing a Pride flag from school grounds and then burning it, according to a message shared with the school community. The incident was caught on video, and “another young person is heard using homophobic and hate-filled language toward the LGBTQ+ community,” the message said.“T...

Mercedes-Benz partners with Microsoft to introduce ChatGPT for next-level in-car voice control

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:57:00 GMT

Carmaker Mercedes-Benz has partnered with tech giant Microsoft to introduce an innovative in-car voice control experience by integrating ChatGPT The collaboration aims to enhance the driving experience by integrating a voice assistant powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Starting Friday, drivers can participate in the beta program through theit Mercedes Me app or simply by saying, “Hey Mercedes, I want to join the beta program.” Users will gain access to a range of features, from requesting directions to making dinner reservations. Mercedes-Benz said the integration of AI into vehicles marks a significant step towards leveraging technology for improved mobility and customer convenience. By harnessing the power of machine learning, Mercedes-Benz is developing new functions for its future vehicles and mobility services. These intelligent assistance systems offer drivers a unique form of individual support, made possible by AI.With this groundbreaking update, Mercedes-...

Macron hosts Saudi crown prince for Ukraine, Mideast talks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:57:00 GMT

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for talks focused on the Middle East and the war in Ukraine on Friday.Macron will press bin Salman, also known as MBS, to use his influence on Russia during a one-to-one lunch at the Elysée Palace, according to an official at the presidential palace who was not authorized to speak publicly.MBS is spending a week in Paris, during which he is expected to participate in the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact and attend a reception in the French capital next Monday supporting Saudi Arabia’s candidacy to host the Expo 2030 world’s fair.Bin Salman’s visit and the length of the stay have drawn sharp rebuke from NGOs campaigning against human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, and in the wake of the brutal killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 — reportedly ordered by MBS himself. Human rights organizations also criticized Macron’s role in helping normalize the Sa...